Mechanical brushing device



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July 29, 1941. w. s. sussMAN MECHANICAL BRUSHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1939 Patented July 29, 1941 Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,250,975 MECHANICAL BBUSBING DEVICE William s. Sussman, New York, N. Y. Application October 25', 1939, Serial No. 301,250 4 Claims. (CI. 15-22) This invention relates to a mechanical brushing device and relates more particularlyto an improved motor driven brush for cleaning the teeth, for massaging the gums, and for other purposes.

One of the important objects of the invention is the provision of an improved brushing device principally for the teeth and gums which may be used by the layman without possibility of injury to himself.

Another object of the invention-is to provide a mechanical toothbrush which will enable the user to obtain a really efiective cleaning, thus eliminating the necessity requiring a periodic professional cleaning for the purpose of removing accumulated tartar and other material which cannot be removed by an ordinary daily brushing operation with a conventional brush.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide a novel and efiective brushing apparatus which will clean both inner and outer tooth surfaces, as well as the recesses in such surfaces, with equal facility and will also remove the accumulated material from the interstices between such teeth.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of this character which may be used for brushing the teeth and gums as well as for manicuring purposes, means I being provided for polishing the surface of the finger nails as well as for filing the edges thereof.

The invention includes a substantially cylindrical support or core having bristles secured within apertures in the surface thereof, such core being mofinted in a journal member having a rotatable shaft leading thereinto. In the preferred embodiment of the invention an eccentric driving cam is" secured to the upper end of such shaft, the cam being positioned in an aperture formed in the core. As the shaft rotates the core and its bristles are given an elliptical movement, thus giving a true brushing effect. In the second embodiment of the invention the shaft is provided with a concentric driving gear adapted to impart rotative movement to the brushing element. In each instance such brushing element may be removed and a polishing element, covered with chamois skin or the like, may be substituted.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of means for mounting the brushing element relative to the motor housing in such a manner as to permit free use of the brushing element without interference from the housing.

The preferred prime mover for operating the drive shaft is a spring motor of the type described be either of the electric be spring driven,

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device;

Fig. 4 is a broken front elevation, partially in section, of a modified embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a manicuring attachment for the device.

The preferred embodiment .of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and includes an elongated vertical sleeve I ll having a longitudinal bore ll therethrough, such sleeve being positioned on the upper end of a motor housing l3, and being of such length as to permit free use of the brushing element without interference from the housing. The sleeve I0 is desirably removable from the motor housing, although no details of such connection between sleeve and housing, nor

of the motor per se, are illustrated herein since they form no part of the present invention. As was pointed out earlier, however, the motor may or pneumatic type or may and the operative parts are enclosed within the housing which is of such size as to be conveniently held in the hand.

At its upper end the sleeve is formed with an enlarged threaded portion ll which carries a brushing element support or journal l5 formed with a boss I6 having a vertical threaded aperture II therein which receives the enlarged upper end portion ll of sleeve ID. This support is substantially c shaped in transverse vertical section, the inner or bearing surface I 8 describing the arc of a circle and representing an arc of from 200 to 225 of the complete circle.

The brushing. element comprises a substantially cylindrical core 20 which may be made from molded plastic material or from metal or wood,

' as desired, such core being circular in transverse section andbeing of such diameter as to closely fit the arcuate bearing recess l8 in support l5, the core, however, being capable of both-oscillating and reciprocating movement within such support.

The core. is further formed with a circular aperture 22 in its lower wall which receives a further to the right of center than to the left,

and this right terminal is rounded as shown at 2!. The surface of the core isformed with a plurality of spaced apertures 21 within each of which are cemented or otherwise secured a series of bristles 28. In order to give the brusha ing element the maximum brushing eiiiciency for teeth cleaning purposes, the bristles, after they are secured in place, are trimmed to form the general shape shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The bristles are secured over the greater portion of the surface of core 20 except for a portion designated as 2! which is the bearing surface and which is free from bristles in order to avoid interference with the edges of support [5.

The opposite end of the core 20 is flat as shown at 2! and is formed with a reduced threaded portion 80. A substantially cylindrical massaging member Ii, formed with a hardened collar portion 32 having internal threads 32', is mounted on such reduced portion, said member having a closed opposite end portion 31 of somewhat greater thickness than the side walls. The outer surface of the massaging member is rendered non-smooth by the formation of a plurality of spaced protuberances 34. If desired, this massaging member may include a cylindrical core of hard material, which may be an integrally formed extension of the core 20, and a cap of sponge rubber or other resilient material may be removably positioned thereon after the core has been moved into place in the journal member I.

By forming the annular side walls of massaging member ll relatively thin and the end wall somewhat thicker, suchside walls will yield longitudinally when such end wall engages the gums thus permitting the user to gauge the amount of pressure. to be applied.

The massaging member may be rendered nonsmooth by the formation of any other type of surface and the member may also have an abrasive portion on its outer surface for use as a manicuring instrument.

'The modified embodiment shown in Figs. 4, and 6 includes a sleeve 40 having a bore ll therein, a rotating shaft 42 driven by suitable power as before, positioned therein, such shaft having a small bevelled gear 43 mounted at the upper end thereof. The core 46 in this instance is also substantially cylindrical in shape and likewise is formed with a plurality of apertures 41 therein, bristles 48 being secured within such apertures. At the upper end of the sleeve ll a housing 49 is formed, such housing providing a journal for a rotatable hub 50, ball bearings II being positioned in an annular recess 5l' between hub and journal. A bevelled gear 52 meshes with gear 43. The hub is provided with a screw 53 which is received in a longitudinal recess in the core 48, the thread of screw 53 running in a direction opposite from the direction of rotation of core 46.

The housing further carries curved guard plate It having a collar portion II which is carried on the housing I" and may be rotated to any position desired.

In Fig. 6 a manicuring device 55 is illustrated,

which device may be mounted on screw 53,- This device includes a core II having a covering 51 of chamois skin or other suitable material and 1 an annular file 59, substantially triangular in transverse section is alsogcarried on the core.

The brushing element shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may also be modified in the manner suggested for the first embodiment of the invention. Also, the precise shape of such element is a matter of choice.

' What I claim is:

1. A mechanically operated tooth brush including a generally cylindrical brushing element comprising a core and a plurality of bristles secured over a portion of the surface thereof, including at least one end wall, a substantially c shaped support. for the brushing element having a bore receiving the element to permit movement of the element relative to the support, the core having an aperture in one side wall thereof, and an eccentric cam driver positioned within said aperture to impart oscillating and reciprocating movement to the brushing element, a sleeve carried by the support and a rotatable shaft positioned therein, the cam driver being secured to said shaft, the core of the brushing element having a portion of its surface free from bristles to permit movement of the element relative to the support.

2. A mechanically operated tooth brush including a cylindrical brushing element comprising a core and a plurality of bristles secured over a portion of the surfacethereof, a channelled support for the brushing element having a bore shaped to receive the element to permit movement of the element relative to the support, the bore engaging the core over an area less than its entire outer periphery, the core having an aperture therein, and means for imparting oscillating and reciprocating movement to the brushing element comprising an eccentric cam driver positioned in the aperture, a sleeve carried by the support and a rotatable shaft" positioned therein, the 'cam driver being secured to said shaft, the core of the brushing element having a portion of its surface free from bristles to' receiving the element to permit movement of the element relative to the support, the support engaging the core over more than one-half its outer periphery, the core having an aperture therein, and an eccentric cam positioned within said aperture to impart oscillating and reciprocating movement to the brushing element, a

sleeve carried by the support and a rotatable.

shaft positioned therein, the cam being secured at one end of said shaft, the core of the brushing element having a portion of its surface free from bristles to permit movement of the element relative to the support.

4. A mechanically operated tooth brush including a cylindrical brushing element comprising an elongated core which is circular in transverse section, and a lurality oi bristles secured over a portionoi the surface thereof, including one end wall, a support for the brushing element which is substantially O. shaped in transverse section and engages the core over an area substantially half its length and more than hali its periphery to permit movement of the element relative to the support, the core having a circular aperture therein, a sleeve carried by the 10 support, a rotatable shalt positioned within the sleeve, a prime mover connected with one end oi." the shaft, and an eccentric cam driver secured at the other end or the shaft and lying in the circular aperture inthe core, the core of the brushing element having a portion 01' its surface tree from bristles to permit movement of the element relative to the support.

WILLIAM S. SUSSMAN. 

